Hi,
To start. I am the ignorant horse buyer in this situation. I was raised with horses and thought I did my homework when I got my horse, However, I missed a whole area I did not even know existed!! Branding inspections...Now when I bought my horse I was charged for the brand inspection, but since "Lady" is the first horse I have ever purchased as an adult
I didn't realize it was something that was separate from her bill of sale or registration.

I have decided to move my horse to another county in the care of a friend who has cancer, the reasoning for this is because he has an innate love of horses and has the means and support to do so plus, Lady will be his therapy animal.
And that to me is volumes for both him and the horse...When he was here earlier this month him and Lady developed a very nice repore and I know both will do well...Not the point here though sorry got off track.

When I went to call for BI I learned that I never received the actual documentation needed though I paid for it, the inspector states he has not seen this brand in Montana and it HAS NOT been inspcted by him or his coworkers and if she had been inspected he would have been the one to do it as I was told the horse comes from our BI district by the previous owner...

So what do I do here? Does this mean my horse was stolen by the seller? The BI said I would not face repercussions because I DO have a bill of sale on her, But does this mean they will take her from me? What will happen to my horse?
I'm worried sick!! Is there paperwork that can be traced by her registration #?

Lesson always do your homework about Paperwork...owning a horse is more then owning a horse it is a legal process as well..please info anyone!

Many horses change hands without the proper paperwork. Usually the BI takes a description of the horse and writes you a brand inspection then checks the description against stolen or missing horse reports. It is highly unlikely that the horse is stolenas there is lots of risk and not much to gain by stealing horses and most states east of the Rockies don't have brand inspestions so that would be where horses that are stolen would be sold. Are you sure that you need to have a BI to transport a horse within the state?

There's nothing like the Rockies in the springtime... Nothing like the freedom in the air... And there ain't nothing better than draggin calves to the fire and there's nothing like the smell of burning hair. -Brenn Hill

Kevinshorses, I was wondering that as well, in the State of Montana you are required to get a BI upon sales of a horse or if you are leaving a BI district with your horse and does carry a pretty hefty fine.

Wyoming is the same, if you cross county lines, you are required to have a current BI from the county you live in. I get a lifetime BI when I buy a horse, it usually costs about $25, and I carry copies in the horse trailer, along with copies of their paperwork.
To be honest, I have bought a horse in Utah under extreme conditions for the horse( horribly abused and dying )and did not wait for a brand inspection, I just wanted to get the horse home to the vet. I trailered him home and because I had the signed registration papers, the BI here in Wyoming came, examined him, wrote the registration information and gave me a brand inspection. If he had gotten information that the horse was stolen, as Kevin said, then he would have come back.
If you have a bill of sale and registration papers, your BI can do a brand inspection on the horse, it sounds like down the line the paperwork was lost or never done, and maybe it will make a bit more work for him and he doesn't want to do it. Especially if the horse is from the same area as you are in now.

I agree. I find the whole process very interesting. I don't think my state requires them either.

I think all western states require them so you may want to check.

There's nothing like the Rockies in the springtime... Nothing like the freedom in the air... And there ain't nothing better than draggin calves to the fire and there's nothing like the smell of burning hair. -Brenn Hill

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